Fluid-rheostat.



A. SMON.

FLUID RHBOSTAT.

APPLICATION 1111111 111111.10. 1913.

Patente@ Sepia. 2Q, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SERT 1.

A. SMON.

FLUID RHEOSTT. APPLmATmN FILED Mimmo, 1913.

Fatenzed. Sept. 29, WA.

2 SHEETSHBET 2.

Nm. .M .m

i g. i l y i l 'l UNITED ASTATES PATENT o'EEioE.

SIMON', OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR TO THE CUTLEPu-HAMMER To all tvliom it may concern.;

Be it known that I, ARTHUR S iiioN, a citizen ofthe United States, residing at Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee andA State of AWisconsin, have invented new and useful Improvements in Fluid-Itheostats, fof

which the Aollowin'g is a full, .clear,.concise, -and exact description, reference being had 'to the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this specification. f

'My invention relates to fluid rheostats. It has among its objects to provide means for improving the circulation of Huid through rheostat tank; to provide improved means for varying the fluid level, `and to provide an :improved electrode construction.

v .Other-` objects and advantages of my invention vwill hereinafter appear.

For the purpose of more fully and clearly disclosing theA nature and advantages of my vinvention Ishall describe the rlieostat illustra-ted fin the accompanying drawing, it, of

course, being-understood that the drawing is not to' be .considered as unnecessarily limiting' the scope of the appended claims.

In theaccompanyinff drawings, Figure-l is `a top '.plan view of t e rheostat; F ig. Q is a vertical sectional view .on line 2 2, Fig.

' 1g and'Fig. 3- s a transverse sectional view The rlieostat includes an electrode ,tank 5 substantially rectangular in form and sii-- periniposed' upon an overflow Atank 6 .of suitble eonstrgiction. A s illustrated, there are fourelectrodes 7, 8, i) ,and 10 suspended in the ,tank These electrodes are preferably arranged' to extend loizigitudinally of the tank and, -in' a parallel relation to -one another, i In practice, :theyvmay be o fvva-rious dienent .constructions but are preferably polistliuctedps hereinafter described. The resistance uid .is fed -into the tank 5 tlinoiiglraninlet 11 4at o-neend thereof and discharged at .t-he .opposite lend .of said tank into.the`-tank 6.' .The fluid inay then be vWithdiawii fgoin a port 12 in the tank 6 and again .sup lied to the tank 5. This circulation .of e fuid ma'yf-be readily accomlished brie centrifugal pump :13 connected .etitewthetomnk Ingpraetioe' ,the vaniation..othe resistance o ,the rlieostat isA prejerabl accomplished ,by-varyingthe' leyelzoif dui in the tank 5 @with respctta'tb electrodes Further it s very :desirable *practice to provide for 'a Specicatioii of Letters Patent. Application ledMarch 10, 1913. Serial No. 753,303.

iuG. -Co.`, or MILWAUKEE, wiscoNsIN, A CORPORATION or wisconsin.

' FLUI'DRHEOSTAT.

Patented Sept. 29, 1914.

circulation of the fluid throughout the entire operative period of the rlieostat. This is desired to prevent overheating and the consequent formation of gases.

The tank illustrated embodies means which I shall now describe that provides for a most efficient regulation of the level of the iiuid and also a most advantageous circulation of the fluid. This means in cludes a vertical Weir 14 located at the end I of the tank adjacent to the intake 11 and extending the ,entire width of the tank and to a heightcorresponding to the highest fluid level desired. It further comprises an outlet at the opposite end of the tank prefen.

ably in the forni of a transversely extending" opening 15 in thebottoin of the tank, said opening extending the entire width of the tank and having a slide 16 forclosing the saine to any desired degree. lVith this arl rangement it will be apparent that all fluid entering the tank must pass over the upper edge of the Weir or partition 14 which, being level, causes the iiuid to be equally distributed across the entire width of the tank whereby it will pass the electrodes in uniform parallel streams. Also, sincetlie outlet extends the entire .ividthof the tank, this uniformity will be maintained until the fluid leaves the tank. A most eiiicient circulation is thereby provided. It is sometimes vdesirable to provide for-retention of certain amount of fluid in the tank vcorresponding to tlie maximum resistance desired and to this end the portion of the bottom of the tank containing the outlet is preferably ele# vated from the main portion 17'of the botsie toin to a degree corresponding to the aino'unt of fluid to be retained.- Under some conditions it might be desirable to entirely -close `the outlet 15 and yet maintain the circulation of fluid in the tank. To permit this, ,I preferably provide, at the outlet end of the tank, an overflow Weir .18 similar to the Weir 14 atthe intake end of the tank.

The overflow opening .back ofthe .Weir -18`,'

and'also the outlet 15, communicate with the tank 6. The slide 1G, by adjustino' the Size of the outlet 15, enables the level o? the fluid in the tank 5 to be regulated at will. As,- suming that the fluid is supplied to the tank at a constant rate, 'it 'is obvious that the level of the iuid may be raised by adustnient of said slide torestrict .the outlet 15 and may belowered bvadiustmei'if. of -Hm ,slide'in a reverse manner. The slide 16 may 4lie arranged to be operated in any suitable manner but in practice I prefer to mount the same on the end of a lever or a pair of levers 19 ulcrumed adjacent to the upper edge of the tank 5 to apin or rod 2O supported by tie. 1ralls of said tank. Further, I prefer to provide the lever or levers 19 y with a bell-crank arm 21 and connect the free end lof said arm through a. suitable link 22 to a crank shaft 23. lThis enables adjustment of the slide 16 by operation of said crank shaft, which operation may either be performed manuallyv or by amoton 24 throughrsuitable gearing 25. This provides a very simple but efficient means for ad]ust ing the slide 16 and accordingly varying the level of fluid in. the tank tor securing the desired resistance regulation.

The electrodes are preterabl f of the construction illustrated in Fig. 3. As here illus^ v`trated, each electrode comprises a sheet 4of metal 30 folded to term a hollow member i tapered in cross section, the ends of the plate being secured to a supporting mem- 'Ihis construction of electrode has two distinct advantages. It enables the circulation of fluid throu 'h the electrode and thegt'itilization of such fluid for cooling purposes exclusively. Further, when a number vof such electrodes are assembled in the Amanner illustrated., the distance between the vv'same gradually decreases from the bottom of the tank upwardly. Thus their construction 'assists in the decrease of resistance as the fluid in the tank rises and thereby provides for a greater reduction in the resistance than could be obtained by mere variation in the fluid level if the electrodes were .40.

spaced uniformly throughout.

1k in any vsuitable manner. As illustrated,

glifhe electrodes may be supported in the t ey are supported by engagement of the -ends of their supports 31 with insulating devices 32 secured to platesv 33 extending across the top of the tank 5 at opposite ends thereof. v

The electrodes may be connected in eircuit in any preferred manner in accordance.

Withthe functions to be performed thereby. As illustrated, the electrodes 7 8 and 9 are 'provided with terminals 34, 35 and 36 respectively, while the opposite end of the Ielectrode 7 is electrically connected by a metallic strip 37 to. one end of the electrode 10.

The rheostat illustrated is adapte-d for either intermittent or continuous duty but Where used for continuous duty it might be desirable to provide some ofthe numerous Well-known means for cooling the fluid in itspassage from the tank 6 to the tank 5.

` What claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent'is: q1. fludrheOStat, a. tank, electrodes from the maximu'mfluidleveIl v, r 9.*In a fluid rheostat,.'ai'uidftanh a. 120

tanks, said' elcctrodeftank.; aagiirgY to one end of- `said electrodes`- means or in- 125 flow. of fluid therein, salu tank having' a fluid inlet, vandmeans insuring a uniformdistribution 'off the fluid throughout the entire width of the tank 'as it passes to said electrodes. v

2. InV 'a fluid rheostat, a tank, electrodes 70.

therein,- saidtank havinga-fluid inlet, and means insuring' a uniform distributionv of the fluid throughout the entire Width of the l tank as it passes'to said electrodes, said electrodes -being disposed paralleli .to the current of the fiuid.-

3. In a fluid rheostat, a tank having an Y inlet at one end, thereof, electrodes mounted in said tank', and a Weir between said inlet and said electrodes extending the entire 80 Width of said tank.

4.. In a fluid rheostat, amtank havingan l inlet at one end thereof,-.'electrodes mounted in said tank, and a Weirbetweensaifdinlet' and said electrodes extending'. the entire 85 width'of said,- tank, 'said electrodes being substantially at right angles 'to said Weir.

5. In a fluid rheostat, a tank provdedat one end with an inlet,` and'lmeansisuring a uniform'distribution-v of the fluidjthrough- 90 I out the `entire .width of the tank,- vs aid tank being provided at itsoppositeend Awith anA outlet extendf g' the-. fentire width of the same. s z Y. Y

' e. in a aan -`lfiiet'sat, mit ist-tidal at 95 one end with an inlet and Witha Weir ad' 105 jacent to said inlet extending the entire Width of sald tank and' at its' opposite end with an overflow Weir paralleltosaidfu-st-v mentioned Weir and between said weirs with an overfiow openlng extending the entire v11o width thereof andparallelvvith said vgeirs.

8. In a uid rheostat, 'a fluid tank, .a

second tank superimposed uponthe same,

electrodes in said' secondl tank, means for circulating the. uidthrou h both of said 1A15 tanks, said electrode aving adjacent' to one end of said electrodes means. for insuring a. delivery of Huid uniformly. thereto second tank superimposed jupon'. ,the A same,

electrodes' 1n said secondil tank, means for i eirculatingthefuid throu Jsaid o d 'acent suring a delivery-oflflnid uniformlythereto .from the maximum, fluid level andjhaving an outlet in tsfbottom y exiflllllI1 'gthe entire width thereojand at right" angles the le outlet extending across 10o open-ended and disposed Withv their openv ends contiguous to said ports.

ll. In a fluid rheostat, e tank having means for varying the fluid level therein and electrodes in said teni;2 each of said electrocles having its faces of maximum aree a-ngularly disposed with respect to one enetner to converge toward the bottom of said' tank.

y l2. In a fluid rheostat, a, iiuicl tenir het# ing inlets and outlets at opposite enfle thereof means for varying the level o Fluid therein, and hollow electrodes having open ends contiguous to the inlet and outlet ends of said tank and havin their sides tapering toward the bottom o said tank.

13. In a fluid rheostat, e fluid tank and electrodes therein arranged in a .parallel relation, seid eleetrodes congprising ehet metal plates folded to form hollow members tapering toward the bottom of said tenira 14. Inl e iuicl rheostet5 a tank provided with an elongated outlet opening, a pivoted member for restricting the size of open.- ing, e, crank end' an operative connection. hetween said crank and seid pivoteel men 15. In e fluid rheostat, a tank prow-fn vCi with an outlet slot in the bottom theieoi, plete movable along the bottoni of said tenir.. to restrict the size of said slot, i lever suf@ porting said plate, :i crank and en operetive connection between seid crank' enel lever,

In witness whereof, I have hereunto suhscrhed my neme in the presence of two Witnesses.

ARTHUR SIMON Witnesses: v

FRANK Ii. lin-eenen, LEONARD A. Wn'reon., 

